Beach House Reunion by Mary Alice Monroe

What can I say? I absolutely love every book Mary Alice Monroe has written. I fell in love with her writing when I first read Girl in the Mirror and I've been hooked ever since. Her ability to tackle environmental issues while weaving a passionate, heartfelt tale leaves me longing. Her characters actually become family. Mary Alice and I share a love of the Lowcountry and the ecological concerns that come with it. From sea turtle preservation to the local shrimping industry, she helps us to understand that we must get involved. And her stories are a legacy to those causes. Her latest novel, Beach House Reunion, takes us again into the world of the Caretta Caretta, the Loggerhead Turtle and the Rutledge family.

Once again, Cara Rutledge comes home to the Lowcountry. After living in Tennessee for a few years after her husband, Brett suddenly passed, Cara finds herself returning to Isle of Palms with a new purpose and a new role, mother to her new daughter, Hope. At the same time, we have Cara's niece, Linnea return home to Charleston upon her graduation from college. Both women, while residing at the beloved beach cottage that once belonged to Cara's mother, Lovie Rutledge, find their strength to begin anew. Over the course of that summer, friendships form, family disputes erupt, old memories buried, and new romance blossoms.

Mary Alice Monroe has once again written a beautifully woven novel that continues the story of Cara Rutledge and her cherished Lowcountry. The reunion of Cara, her family, her friends, and her treasured Loggerhead turtles, create an unfolding drama that makes this book hard to put down. Those new to this series will be inspired to catch up with the Rutledge family in Mary Alice Monroe's previous Beach House novels.

Where can you buy this book? Here is my favorite place.

Bookmarks NC (local Winston-Salem, NC non-profit indie bookseller)

Photo copyrighted by Bookmarks NC

Want to help? Here are a few links regarding sea turtle preservation, no matter where you are located. 

Sea Turtle Preservation Society

Sea Turtle Care Center

Isle of Palms Turtle Team

The State of the World Sea Turtles

Photo from: 45th Space Wing (non-commercial use granted)

How can you follow Mary Alice Monroe?

Mary Alice Monroe website

Mary Alice Monroe on Facebook

Mary Alice Monroe on Goodreads

Mary Alice Monroe on Twitter

Mary Alice Monroe on Blogspot

School Library Advocacy to Get Your Groove Back

I recently returned from another conference where technology in education was the focus. Of the sessions I chose to attend, a couple of them didn't promote the use of technology at all. A few others just taught the technology tool. They were taught by either a team of school librarian/teacher or instructional technology facilitator/teacher. But the overall emphasis seemed to be on the tech tool being the focus, not the educational outcome.

As a school librarian, I feel that we may have lost some of our focus. I feel we need to move beyond just teaching technology tools, and move toward collaboratively planning lessons with teachers that allow them to utilize tools and strategies in developing higher order thinking skills and personalized learning. Then we need to demonstrate that practice for other librarians/teachers/administrators who are unsure what that looks like in practice. Also, there needs to be student choice and voice, either in the technology tools they use for creation; choice of reading materials for study, analysis, and grades; and in how we personalize their instruction/learning. In order to advocate for our positions, we need to make it our practice to team plan and teach with teachers and specialists in order to make this happen. Otherwise our value is overlooked and becomes diminished. 

What can we do to be library advocates?

• attend grade level / department level PLT's when planning lessons & reviewing data (PLT - Professional Learning Team)
• become a member of the SIT team (School Improvement Team)
• develop a relationship with your administrative staff; provide updates on your progress with students in your library often; let them see what you do and how your time is allocated in the library
• stay up to date on grade level / library practices, pedagogy, technology tools, and curriculum standards in order to plan & share
• curate resources tailored to student & teacher needs
• to start, work with one teacher per grade level /  department to plan & team teach; most won't come to you
• be active and involved in your local, state, and national library associations
• advocate for a flexible schedule or a fixed / flexible schedule. This will give you availability to meet the needs of students & teachers.
• create an online presence on social media with a PLN (Professional Learning Network) & stay active (participate in Twitter chats, Facebook Library groups, Instagram, etc.)
• partner with businesses in your local community
• create and develop your brand; you represent your library, your students, your school, your profession
• develop your library space to be flexible and meeting current needs of 21st century students. Partner with students / staff for input. Design your space to be the "hub" of your school. May need grants, fundraising dollars, etc. 
• promote your library within your school, especially in April for AASL School Library Month. They have lots of promos and printables. This year, it is all about "Making Connection at your School Library".  http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/slm #AASLslm
• Become a Future Ready Librarian by partnering with librarians, administrators, teachers and staff using the resources found at https://futureready.org/program-overview/librarians/ #futurereadylibs 
• Ask for help if you need it. Librarians are a passionate group who love to share. We are here for you. Take a look at this graphic created by Jennifer LaGarde. It explains our position perfectly. (And she is is an awesome librarian to have in your PLN. @JenniferLaGarde

These are just a few things that will give you a larger voice for you as a librarian, your library and your students. Remember, school librarians are rock stars for students and teachers. Let your star shine! 

It’s Mid-Year…How Do You Organize Your Evidence For Evaluation?

This is a mid-year blog that I wrote last year on another blog that is appropriate for this time of year. ~ Crystal

As I sit here on our 4th snow day that we have been out of school since last week, I am gathering and organizing my evidence for my mid-year PDP evaluation tomorrow and year-end evaluation. This can be a stressful time of year if your sources aren’t together and organized. We have everything from emails to student samples to professional development notes. How do we keep it all organized? How do we know we are meeting every standard on our evaluation rubric? Do we even have enough evidence to reflect upon?

In the past, I have had difficulty with organization. I tend to jump on every curation and organizational tool that I have ever been introduced to as I love getting new information on how to store resources. But after a while, it got overwhelming knowing which one to use and would be the most effective. So far, I have decided to use LiveBinders.

I have found that I can add tabs for each standard that I want met. Then I add subtabs under each standard for each evidence I have that meets that standard. You can add URL links, photos and documents. So far it has been very user friendly.

These are my subtabs so far for Standard 1: School library media coordinators demonstrate leadership.

Subtabs for Standard 2: School library media coordinators build a learning environment that meets the instructional needs of a diverse population of students.

Subtabs for Standard 3: School library media coordinators implement a comprehensive 21st Century library media program.

Subtabs for Standard 4:  School library media coordinators demonstrate knowledge of learners and learning and promote effective instructional practices

And subtabs for Standard 5: School library media coordinators demonstrate knowledge of learners and learning and promote effective instructional practices.

Having multiple subtabs allows me to show the items that I am using to prove that I’ve met or exceeded that standard. The standards I am referring to are:

Rubric for Evaluating North Carolina’s School Library Media Coordinators

I sincerely hope that this information will help you on your journey to become Proficient, Accomplished or Distinguished. We are all on this journey together. I would be very interested in hearing how you organize your evidence for evaluations. Please feel free to share or comment. Happy curating and organizing!

The Importance of School Library Funding

Over the course of the last week, I have eagerly monitored my Donors Choose project. I had never used this avenue of project funding before. Starting the new school year and not having any funds to purchase the 2015 NCCBA or national award books yet, I decided to give it a try. I advertised it on Facebook and Twitter. So grateful for all my friends and librarians who have either shared this project with their friends or made a donation! But a week later, my project is still not fully funded (didn't realize how hard it would be to raise $494 and the first week every donation up to $100 was doubled). Needless to say, I'm disappointed.

I think I am more disappointed that public school libraries have to beg for funding, considering that the books and materials service the entire student and teacher population. According to the American Library Association: 

 All school library media programs should be adequately funded to ensure that they include up-to-date collections in both print and electronic formats.

 All students should have the benefit of trained school librarian, who can guide them in learning to use and understand a wide variety of information sources.

 The school library program should be integrated with classroom curriculum so that students learn to make connections between subject areas, retrieve information and think independently. ALA School Library Funding


I couldn't agree more. School library funding has become an issue in many states and districts. Federal, state and local legislatures should allocate funding for school libraries as part of their budgets. Now, in addition to teacher, information specialist, instructional technologist, and library program administrator, we have also become fundraising specialists. This requires additional time that is taken away from instructional time but yet has become a necessity. So now, in addition to the 5-7 fixed classes a day that I plan detailed lessons for, I need to worry about how to pay for supplies and library curriculum materials. Our students deserve so much more, especially our students that depend on the school library to supply ALL of their reading material because they have none at home. 

Please don't get me wrong. I have the best career in the world. I'll take on these roles anyway. But our schools, teachers and students need and deserve SO much more. If the media center is going to be the "hub" of the school that serves ALL students, we need to provide funding there also. Our students are counting on us. 

For more school library studies, visit School Libraries Impact Studies

To donate to our library project, visit Award Books for Voting 2015 Project

Spring Break Reading

Alas, Spring Break 2015 is almost over. I enjoyed my time by traveling to Wilmington NC with both my children, as Sarah will be graduating this year from high school and our time together will begin to be limited. During our time away, I had the chance to catch up on my reading, as librarians never have enough time to read. The first book I read was "Unforgotten Sins in Charleston" by Jim Gordon III. Since Charleston SC holds the key to my heart, I devoured this novel in record time. Plus it was historical in nature which was an added bonus. 

While shopping at Two Sisters Bookery (a fantastic indie book shop), I bought "Whistling Past the Graveyard" by Susan Crandall, which is also historical fiction and a recommended read by Karen White, one of my favorite authors. 

After returning from Wilmington, my son, Stephen and I accompanied Sarah to Boone NC for Appalachian State University admitted student day. Once home from Boone, I had 3 glorious days left to finish my leisurely reading. 

Next on my list was "The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd. You guessed it! It is set in Charleston SC and it's historical fiction. Then to clear my mind between reading two long novels, I quickly read "Lowcountry Hurricanes" by Lynn Michelsohn. As my spring break time got shorter, I began reading "Out With the Tide" by Lola Faye Arnold, which I bought after the author contacted me to read and review it. I love local/regional authors and am always willing to help self-published authors. Plus this book is also set in Charleston SC and takes place in 1981. I suppose I should just go back to school and get a degree in Charleston history. 

I also try to keep a balance of professional reading as well. I recently bought "Learn Like a Pirate: Empower Your Students to Collaborate, Lead, and Succeed by Paul Solarz. This is no easy task as a school librarian when you teach the majority of your day. But you do what you love and you keep on striving to be the best at it. For me, that involves blending pleasure reading with professional reading so as not to burn out to quick. Reading is a huge part of my life that makes me happy. What makes you happy? Try blogging about it. :-)

Managing the Library with a PLN

The school library is constantly evolving.  Therefore, we need the most efficient technology tools to help us organize, analyze, and utilize the continuous inundation of new resources being created for leading educators and technology innovators. One of the best tools to keep abreast of the most current educational best practices is to create a Twitter PLN (Professional Learning Network).  My PLN allows me to stay attuned to current trends and best practices.  A Twitter PLN can be created by participating in educational Twitter chats geared to your field of expertise. Here are a few that I find to be very informative: #nctlchat, #tlchat, #edchat, #edtechchat, #tlap, and #edcamp.  I also use TweetDeck to keep track of multiple and simultaneous chats.  This allows me to be an active participant in chats that occur at the same time.  Based on the educators and administrators that participate in various chats, I decide who to follow and allow in my PLN.  A great blog about TweetDeck and educational chats can be found at http://www.theedublogger.com/2014/06/25/twitter-chats/.

Other technology sites that are beneficial in managing the school library are as follows:

Google Drive www.google.com/drive/index.html
edWeb.net  www.edweb.net/LMC
Free Tech for Teachers  www.freetech4teachers.com
Pinterest  www.pinterest.com
Livebinders   www.livebinders.com

More useful tools can be found at Edudemic: Connecting Education and Technology blog http://www.edudemic.com/50-education-technology-tools-every-teacher-should-know-about/

Technology is there to help us with a wide range of tasks, including management and professional development.  And it is constantly evolving, so dive into your Twitter PLN and chats so you will have the most up to date educational information and tools for your success. I look forward to meeting you during our educhats!

Primary Sources

Over the course of the last 2 weeks, we have been covering primary sources in my 4th grade classes. Mainly, we have been discussing the difference between primary and secondary sources using the websites http://www.kidscomputerlab.org/index.php/research-skills/primary-vs-secondary-sources/ and http://www.cyberbee.com/yesteryear/. The students had fun trying to guess when the photograph was
taken based on the clothing.  (The funniest guess was the 1970's.)  It was taken in Colorado in 1908.

 

We discussed why this was considered a primary source and how it could be used for research.  They had a blast trying to figure out information from the clues in the photograph.  Next we watched a film clip by Thomas Edison from 1914, Buster's Dog to the Rescue, which the students loved.  Other primary documents that would be great when researching were church records, cemetery records, war records, diaries, journals, photographs, film, art, and sound recordings. The conversation quickly turned to how we could use these various sources. The example used was this photograph from the Library of Congress digital archives http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/csas/item/csas200802661/ 

 

The students had recently visited Old Salem on a field trip and had to complete a project on what they learned.  This photo of the Chimney House in Old Salem would be a great addition to complement their project as it also provides the photographer's name, date of photograph, and historical information on the house itself (built in 1789).

Of all the many aspects of librarianship that make up the job that I do, research is my absolute favorite.  Seeing sparks ignite in students when connections are made to reality is very powerful.  When we can read a fiction book, such as Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick and it creates that desire to find out more on a particular subject or place, such as the American Museum of Natural History, I want to be there for their journey.  Using primary resources helps that journey to become real to them. To make it easier for students and teachers to access online primary resources, I have compiled a Symbaloo page full of primary sources links. Sharing some Symbaloo ♥:  Primary Sources  Webmix http://edu.symbaloo.com/home/mix/13ePQJMDMZ.  I will post Part 2 of our lesson, which includes our creation aspect using primary sources after we have completed it.  Have fun sleuthing! 

A Great Day at the Bookmarks NC Festival

For all my friends who missed BookMarks 10th Annual Festival yesterday, you missed a treat.  With a line up of authors that included Rita Mae Brown, Emily Giffin, Robert Morgan, Lev Grossman, Maggie Stiefvater, Eric Litwin, Scott Berg, James McBride, J.A. Jance, Sam Kean, Karen Abbott, L.M. Elliott, Frances Mayes, Meg Medina, Margaret Stohl, Mary Alice  Monroe, and many, many others.  One of the best sessions was the "Southern Identity in Writing", which featured Robert Morgan, Mary Alice Monroe and Jeremy B. Jones discussing what makes a writer southern.

The trio discussed everything from southern region to dialect to passion.  Though these authors are regional authors, their artistic work transcends region to provide stories that have universal appeal. Despite the oppressive heat, we had well over 100 attendees in the audience.  For more info on these acclaimed authors, visit their websites.  Robert Morgan http://www.robert-morgan.com/, Mary Alice Monroe http://www.maryalicemonroe.com/, and Jeremy B. Jones http://thejeremybjones.com/thewritingof/Home.html .

The next session I worked was "Publishing Today:  Digital, Traditional, and Indie" with Megan Bryant, Jen McConnel and Bill Kane.  They all discussed the changing landscape of publishing and how it affected the publishers.  Gone are the days where you didn't need an agent.  There are fewer publishing houses. Authors make more from the sales of e-books.  And independent publishing is becoming a validated form of getting the stories to the public.  The advice they gave to writers was to never give up.  If you give up, your work will NEVER be published.  This was a fascinating session which also attracted over 100 attendees.

The icing on the cake for me was to see Mary Alice Monroe.  I have loved Mary Alice's books since I read Girl in the Mirror many years ago.  Her ability to infuse a social or environmental situation into the character's story is what drew me to her.  In Skyward, you are made aware of injured birds of prey and the people who provide sanctuary while the birds are healing.  In Last Light over Carolina, the issue is the decline in the coastal SC shrimping businesses.  In The Beach House, you learn about the annual loggerhead turtle spawn.  In The Butterfly's Daughter, we see the migration of the Monarch butterflies.

In this session, Mary Alice discussed her children's book, A Butterfly Called Hope, which chronicles the life cycle of the caterpillar into a butterfly.  She also discussed the dire situation of the Monarch butterflies, which has been in the news lately.   http://strib.mn/1lPyIuq and http://bit.ly/Mwr5bY are a couple of articles that describe the plight of the Monarchs.  You can instantly see where Mary Alice's passions lie.  She is passionate about nature. She understands the importance of preserving nature and we also see that in her writing. Yesterday she said, "It's time to put our ear to the ground and listen". Yes, we do!  That is why I love her books so much.  I consider myself an environmentalist as well.  My passions are the food I eat and the products I use.  I eat organic and non-GMO food as this is what is healthiest for my body.  I also believe in eliminating synthetic chemicals and toxins from my beauty, skin care and household cleaning products.  I think we all can make a difference, even if we start small.  But we need to have a passion, plus we need to make a decision to simply "start". Thus I am committed to doing more of what I love, which is getting involved.  Through the art of literature, we can be reminded of what is important.  Authors like Mary Alice Monroe remind us of what is possible when we are passionate about something.  

Mary Alice's session was the last of the day, ending at 5pm and then, while the Bookmarks volunteers were beginning to break down the tents and equipment, Mary Alice walked over to the book signing tent.  She graciously posed for a picture with Emily Giffin and then proceeded to sign books for those who braved the heat.  I was the last in line, waiting with 9 books for Mary Alice to sign.  She took the time to address them all to me.  She is one of the most gracious and humble women I have ever met.  That is why she will always be among my favorites.  And this is why I volunteer at Bookmarks NC Festival.  I get the opportunity to meet and work with authors who, literally, can change the world.

So it's back to school time.....

As I'm sure many other educators feel, preparing to go back to work at school can be quite stressful.  Between preparing your classroom (or in my case, the library), attending workshops and staff meetings/grade level meetings, sorting and mailing open house letters and room assignments, creating meaningful and engaging lesson plans, and kicking summer withdrawals, educators are tired, yet hopeful.  As I arrive early at school this morning so I can prepare the announcements for our morning broadcast, I start  getting very excited about the upcoming year.  Kids start strolling in with smiles and bookbags hung loosely on their backs.  You can feel the anticipation in the air.

So......How could I keep that excitement going all year; teach library and information skills interwoven with language arts, math, science and social studies; AND get students excited about reading?  Well, I finally decided to spend some time reading those professional books that we all have bought but never get a chance to read.  I started reading The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller.  I had tried to read this book once before and it didn't resonate with me for some reason.  But in my effort to play a more supportive role for classroom teachers and increase reading and comprehension, I decided to give this book another try.  It finally clicked!  Every strategy Donalyn tried made sense.  Every past school memory of hers reminded me of my own school memories.  Her reasons for becoming an advocate for more independent reading astounded me.  Plus, it just made sense.  Increase excitement for reading by connecting with ALL readers:  developing readers, dormant readers, and underground readers.  With rigorous schedules in the classroom, many students do not get the opportunity to independently read, thus they may not develop that passion for reading.

Being a media coordinator (elementary school librarian), I have a fixed schedule that allows me to see every K-5 class weekly for 45 minutes.  Based on this book, my goals are:  have students discover/develop/nurture their reading habits; have students become lifelong, passionate readers; and become confident in their skills as a reader. But I have such a short amount of time to accomplish this task.  So I started small.  I started with my 4th grade class.  I had planned to spend 25-30 minutes going over library rules and book care.  We briefly discussed library rules and then I stopped talking.  After asking the students if they wanted to go over library book care (for the 5th consecutive year), they bemoaned having to go through that ordeal again.  So we began to talk.  I expressed my desires for them as students.  I wanted them to experience the ultimate joy of not wanting to put a book down as well as mourning a book because it has ended but yet we, as readers are not ready for the end.  I set a reading goal and told them they could read anything they wanted to achieve that goal.  We talked about what kinds of books/subjects interested them.  And best of all, I was here for them to help recommend, find and select books that would ignite their imagination.  After this brief discussion, I handed them a bookmark and they promptly got up and went to find those magic books.  I directed one student, who wanted a scary story, to novels by Mary Downing Hahn (ghost books).  She checked out 2 of those books.  Another student wanted Harry Potter.  Another wanted mystery books, so I recommended the Carole Marsh mysteries and the student checked out 3 of them.  He was so excited that he had a hard time speaking during checkout because he was also trying to breathe at the same time.  I was so engrossed with checking out students that I finally looked up because it had gotten so quiet, and ALL of the students were actively reading their books.  I couldn't believe it.  I had never had that happen before.  I quickly pulled out my phone and snapped a picture.  They read for 15 uninterrupted minutes.  I had to pry them out of their books just so they could line up to leave at the end of class.

Yes, I plan to continue this practice.  I am curious to see where it leads the students.  Donalyn Miller has already tried this strategy and achieved amazing results with her students.  I am already encouraged by what I have seen today.  Students never cease to amaze me.  I was once a student also.  I must never forget what it felt like.  Thanks Donalyn!

10 Picture Books I Could Not Live Without in my Library

Today, Cathy Mere is hosting the 4th Annual August Picture Book 10 for 10.  Of course, who better to join the fun than the #nerdybookclub community?  Several of us are blogging and sharing our list of favorite picture books that we can't live without in our classrooms and libraries.  They will also be linked on Twitter at #pb10for10 .  My must have books are:

1.  The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty. -Amazon review

2.  The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

Chester Raccoon doesn't want to go to school--he wants to stay home with his mother. She assures him that he'll love school--with its promise of new friends, new toys, and new books. Even better, she has a special secret that's been in the family for years--the Kissing Hand. This secret, she tells him, will make school seem as cozy as home. She takes her son's hand, spreads his tiny fingers into a fan and kisses his palm--smack dab in the middle: "Chester felt his mother's kiss rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he feels lonely at school, all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek to feel the warmth of his mother's kiss. Chester is so pleased with his Kissing Hand that he--in a genuinely touching moment--gives his mom a Kissing Hand, too, to comfort her when he is away.-Amazon review

3.  Pete the Cat-I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

Pete the Cat goes walking down the street wearing his brand new white shoes. Along the way, his shoes change from white to red to blue to brown to WET as we steps in piles of strawberries, blueberries and other big messes! But no matter what color his shoes are are, Pete keeps movin' and groovin' and singing his song...because it's all good.-Amazon review

4.  The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

"Once there was a tree . . . and she loved a little boy." So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.  Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk . . . and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave.  This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.-Amazon review

5.  The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams 

The Rabbit in the stocking isn't as expensive as the other toys: he’s covered in velveteen. On Christmas Day, the Boy enjoys his new toy but then quickly forgets and neglects him. Shunned and unsure, the Velveteen Rabbit questions his worth. Should he even becalled a real toy? An answer comes from his friend, the Skin Horse: "Real isn’t how you are made. . . .It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." The Velveteen Rabbit's journey through love and loneliness to become who he was really meant to be is a story that inspires us all on our own journey to Real.  The Velveteen Rabbit is a timeless tale of friendship, love, acceptance and honesty. When the world seems uncertain, Margery Williams's classic story reminds all of us what really matters.-Amazon review

6.  Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Baby bat Stellaluna's life is flitting along right on schedule--until an owl attacks her mother one night, knocking the bewildered batlet out of her mother's loving grasp. The tiny bat is lucky enough to land in a nest of baby birds, but her whole world has just turned upside down. Literally. Stellaluna's adoptive bird mom accepts her into her nest, but only on the condition that Stellaluna will act like a bird, not a bat. Soon Stellaluna has learned to behave like a good bird should--she quits hanging by her feet and starts eating bugs. But when she finally has an opportunity to show her bird siblings what life as a bat is like, all of them are confounded. "How can we be so different and feel so much alike?" one asks. "And how can we feel so different and be so much alike?" asks another. "I agree," Stellaluna responds. "But we're friends. And that's a fact." Anyone who has ever been asked to be someone they're not will understand the conflicts--and possibilities--Stellaluna faces.-Amazon review

7.  Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Lilly loves everything about school, especially her cool teacher, Mr. Slinger. But when Lilly brings her purple plastic purse and its treasures to school and can't wait until sharing time, Mr. Slinger confiscates her prized possessions. Lilly's fury leads to revenge and then to remorse and she sets out to make amends.-Amazon review

8.  Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Deep in the sea there lives a happy school of little fish. Their watery world is full of wonders, but there is also danger, and the little fish are afraid to come out of hiding . . . until Swimmy comes along. Swimmy shows his friends how—with ingenuity and team work—they can overcome any danger. With its graceful text and stunning artwork, this Caldecott Honor Book deserves a place on every child’s shelf.-Amazon review

9.  Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman who were very lonely. They decided to get a cat, but when the old man went out searching, he found not one cat, but millions and billions and trillions of cats! Unable to decide which one would be the best pet, he brought them all home. How the old couple came to have just one cat to call their own is a classic tale that has been loved for generations.-Amazon review

10. The Library by Sarah Stewart

Elizabeth Brown doesn’t like to play with dolls, and she doesn’t like to skate. What she doeslike to do is read books. Lots of them, all the time. Over the years, her collection has grown to such enormous proportions that there’s not even room in Elizabeth’s house for Elizabeth. The way she solves the problem will warm the hearts of book lovers, young and old.-Amazon review

These are classics that every library should have.  They are definitely mine!  What are yours?  Share with us and let us know which picture books you can't live without.    Happy Shopping and Reading!